Christian congregations across Newfoundland and Labrador are looking forward to Easter services this weekend, but fears surrounding the ongoing spread of the Omicron variant mean that many parishioners will still choose the virtual option.

Father Paul Lundrigan, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Torbay, says when he set up his first virtual livestream service in 2020 with a selfie-stick and an iPhone, he thought it would only be for a few weeks.

Now, livestreaming services has become an important part of reaching out to the Church community.

Father Lundrigan says with the fast-spreading Omicron variant, many people are opting to continue to take in services online.

He says many parishioners are either fearful for their own health, or are caregivers of people who are vulnerable to the virus.

He expects that even after the pandemic moves to the endemic phase, services and mass will continue to be livestreamed.